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TEXTILES 

AND THE ORIGIN 
O F THEIR NAMES 



BY 



ROBERT H. MEGRAW 



^<h\^°\ 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
TwoGooies Received 

MAY 21 1908 

~) Copyright Entry 
/ 'CUSS <X XXc. No, 



Copyright, 1906 

BY 

ROBERT H. MEGRAW 

New York 



^0 tUt memortj of mtj son 
^ wUo ttelped and tntouv* 
aged me in compiling and 
writing this foaofc. 




JOSEPH MARIE JACQUARD 



FOREWORD 

]\ /IY reason and excuse for doing 
the work — That men in the 
textile industries of all kinds might 
be encouraged to learn the details of 
their business by study and research, 
thereby making themselves valuable 
and better men, and at the same time 
more agreeable in business. 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 




N its fullest sense the word textile XLCXtilCB 
means every kind of stuff, no 
matter of what material, 
wrought in the loom or by hand ; 
whether the threads be spun from the 
produce of the animal, vegetable or 
mineral kingdom; sheep's wool, goat's 
hair or flax, hemp, mallow, the fibrous 
filling of pods, such as cotton, cactus, 
etc,, the glutinous threads of insect 
cocoons, as the silkworm, of gold, silver 
or other metals — all are textiles. 

Sheep were first bred for their wool TltTlool 
for raiment, and not for food. At first 
the locks of wool torn from the sheep's 
back by brambles were gathered ; 
afterward shearing was thought of. In 
some countries plucking by hand from 
the living animal was the manner of 
procuring the fleece ; however procured, 
the wool was, from the earliest records, 
spun by women from the distaff. 
Before weaving by hand was known 
the threads were plaited into cloth. 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



GOttOfl The soft, wool-like fiber, which is 

part of the fruit or seed of the cotton 
plant. All lands produce food vege- 
tables of some kind, but few grow in 
abundance those convertible into cloth- 
ing. Cotton is to-day the most impor- 
tant staple in commercial trade. 

The cotton plant does not appear to 
have been known as one of general 
utility before the discovery of America, 
and has been developed as such since 
about the year 1 700. 

We read of cotton cloth in Chinese 
records about 200 B.C. as being rare 
and precious ; special mention is made 
of a Chinese emperor of A.D. 502, 
who ascended the throne arrayed in a 
cotton robe. In the seventh century 
the plant was cultivated as a garden 
flower. Not until the eleventh century 
did cotton become of use in China as 
an article of manufacture. Strange to 
say, although China was the first to 
manufacture cotton cloth, she has never 

10 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



been a source of supply to other coun- tXOttOll 
tries. The wall was too strong a pro- 
tective tariff. It remained for the South- 
ern United States to grow the plant in 
quantity. With negro slaves to cultivate 
and gather the crop, cotton soon became 
king. Then we had Eli Whitney with 
his invention of the "gin," in 1 792, for 
separating the fiber from the seed. It 
was said of Whitney that he did more 
for the power and progress of America 
than Peter the Great did for Russia's 
history and greatness. 

Cotton is king; but the tariff of the 
United States is at war with him. If 
we continue our prohibitive duties on 
other materials, we will eventually be 
compelled to consume most of what we 
produce. There are other cotton-grow- 
ing countries, fast reaching a point in 
production where they will "give us 
pause." 

All the Nile valley needs to enter 
the cotton market of the world is the 

11 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



COttOtt black people south of her to help. 
What the black did for us he can do 
for Egypt. The "Cairo to the Cape" 
railroad will help in bringing the work- 
ers to the field. When that day comes 
the king will move his court, and we 
can then find a market for the 65 per 
cent, of our crop we cannot consume. 

*5Uft The emission of the glands of a worm 

originally found in the mountainous 
provinces of China, which bred and 
fed on the mulberry tree. The worm 
envelops itself in this fine, thread-like 
substance, which will, when unwound, 
measure as much as four thousand 
yards. The thread hardens on expo- 
sure to the air, and is then converted 
into the different commercial classifica- 
tions for manufacturing, such as floss, 
organzine, etc. 

From China, through India, up the 
Red Sea, across the Isthmus of Suez, 
silk can be traced. Where we learn 
of the first weaving, at Platasa, a city of 

12 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



ancient Greece, garments of silk were £>llft 
worn to expose, and not to conceal the 
form. Then, as now, the desire for 
luxury was sometimes an incentive to 
invention and enterprise. 

We next learn of the Romans paying 
fabulous prices for silk to adorn their 
favorites. Aurelian told his wife he 
could not allow her to wear a garment 
made wholly of silk, as its worth was that 
of gold, for then its cost was pound 
for pound with gold — A.D. 1 20. 

Two Greek monks who spent many 
years in China returned to Greece with 
eggs of the worm concealed in their 
hollow walking-staves; presented 
them to their emperor ; when hatched 
the worms were distributed over Greece 
and Asia Minor; soon the western 
world grew its own silk. 

The name silk is evidently from 
the Assyrian seolc, which applied to 
the people of that part of China where 
silk was first known. You will note 

13 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


Silk 


the name "silk" is similar to a degree 




in all languages; look it up in French, 




German, etc. 


Calico 


Printed cotton cloth ; takes its name 




from Calicut, a city in India where 




cloth was first printed. 


flDuslin 


Fine cotton cloth, originally made in 




Mosul, a city on the banks of the 




Tigris, in Asia. 


Satin 


Silk-faced fabric of glossy finish, 




obtained by passing between hot rollers. 




The name satin is from Zaytown, in 




China, where it was first made. 


£affeta 


A light-weight, plain silk cloth, 




known of first in Bagdad, and named 




for one of the city streets. 


alpaca 


The hair of the alpaca, an animal of 




the llama species, found in Chili and 




Peru; woven as filling on a cotton 




warp makes the fabric known as alpaca. 




14 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



A cloth of silk and cotton, silk and SDatltaSfo 
linen, silk and wool, or all linen in 
flowered or geometrical designs for 
drapery or table covering; takes its 
name from Damascus, the chief city of 
Syria, where it was first made. 

A fine linen cloth made first in Cam- CaittbdC 
brai, France. The old Flemish name 
for the city being Kameryk. 

A veiling net, made first in Gaza, in (5aU3e 
Palestine. 

Solid-color woolen cloth, for table 3Bai3C 
and wall covering, made largely in the 
city of Baza, in Spain. 

A stout, cotton fabric, made with H)ilTlitP 
cords or welts lengthwise of the piece; 
used first as furniture covering. The 
name is from Damietta, a town in Egypt, 
where the cloth was originated. 

An untwilled, pick-and-pick weave, S)ncft 
cotton on linen cloth of lighter weight 
than canvas; used for clothing, and in 

15 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



2DUCfe some weights for sail cloth ; first made 

in Torque, a town in Normandy, and 
derives its name from its resemblance 
to a duck's skin. 

3Blftnfc€t Every one knows what a blanket is, 

but how many know it gets its 
name from Thomas Blanket, a famous 
clothier, who made blankets in England 
about the year 1 840 ? 

IDlapcr Figured cotton or linen tissue ; gets 

its name from the Greek diaspron, 
meaning figured. 

QCXQC Even-twilled cloth of wool, mohair 

or cotton; derives its name from xerga, 
a Spanish name for a peculiar woolen 
blanket or wrap. 

IDdVet From the Italian vellute — woolly 

feeling to the touch, as a woolly pelt 
or hide ; this word applies to the cover- 
ing of a deer's horns, and seems to take 
root in the furry feeling to the touch. 
True velvet is made wholly of silk. 

16 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


An imitation velvet, made of cotton, 


IDel- 


usually with plain back — not twilled, as 


veteen 


silk velvet. 




This is a misnomer, and does not 


IDel- 


mean velvet to the initiated. The velu- 


utina 


tina is a species of shellfish. 




A fabric of the velvet kind, made of 


IDelure 


coarse wool yarn and silk. 




The lowest grade of cotton velvet, 


Safety 


used for covering cheap coffins, lining 


\Delvet 


cases, etc.; sold by the inches in width, 




which ranges from 16 to 32 inches. 




Originally made in Bagdad for wall 




covering — called for Tabby street in 




that city. 




Shawls were made first for floor cov- 


Sbawl 


ering. Sala is Sanscrit for floor, from 




which we get the name. 




From the French " of wool "; applies 


Be* 


to the most primitive weave of plain 


laine 


wool yarn. Thirty years ago delaine 




17 





Textiles and the Origin of Their Namgs. 

2)C"" was the staple of a dress goods stock. 

laiUC It was made in solid colors — red, yel- 

low, blue, salmon, pink, green and pur- 
ple. In the old days of general jobbing, 
if your prices on delaines and Tabby 
velvet were right, you sold the shopper. 

!BaU" From the Indian bandanna — to bind 

batina or tie. In dyeing, the cloth is tied in 
knots when dipped. This gives the 
clouded effect seen in the original ban- 
danna handkerchiefs. 



ColOt0 Color is concentrated light rays. The 

primary colors are red, yellow and blue; 
the secondaries green, orange and pur- 
ple. By mixing blue and yellow we 
get green. Red and yellow give orange, 
and red with blue yields purple. We 
then have the tertiary or third results. 
Mix orange and purple to get russet or 
yellow brown. Orange and green 
make citron or lemon. Purple and 
green result in olive. 

18 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



What a warmth there is in red. JBftCCtOt 
Naturally, in the dull months of winter, COlOCS 
this color is in favor. 

Blue conveys a feeling of coolness, 
therefore you find it in favor for sum- 
mer wear. 

Yellow, the lightest and purest of 
the primary colors, is the most trying of 
them all. By contrast it is the most 
vivid, and in using it too much care can- 
not be taken in getting the proper shade. 

Spotless white was, to the ancient 
Britons, symbolic of sunlight and holi- 
ness, and was the dress of the Druid 
priest. 

Light blue was the color of the garb 
of the singer or poet. 

Green, the livery of the wood and 
field, was the dress of the teacher of 
natural history and medicine. 

Queen Boadicea of Britain, being 
the patroness of all the early arts and 
sciences, wore a motley gown, checked 
or plaided in all the colors, which was 

19 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



iBffCCtOf no doubt the origin of the Scotch plaid 
COlOr0 of to-day. 

" It is not what a man outwardly 
has or wants that constitutes his hap- 
piness or misery. Nakedness, hunger, 
distress of all kinds have been cheer- 
fully endured, and even death itself. 
It is the feeling of injustice that is in- 
supportable to all men. No man can 
bear it or ought to bear it." 

— CARLYLE. 



flDcrCCf" The treatment of cotton to similarize 
t3&tl0n silk. John Mercer, a cotton printer 
of Manchester, England, applied the 
process to fabrics for printing. Eng- 
lish-speaking people have since identi- 
fied the process with his name. From 
what we can learn, the Germans knew 
of the treatment for hosiery yarns long 
before Mercer used it. We have 
heard more of the idea since the Ding- 
ley tariff came in force as a cheapener 
of fancy wool and silk stuffs. The 

20 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



process is simple. The yarn or cloth flDcrCCr* 
in the piece is treated with a bath of 13311011 
hydrate of soda, solution about 20° 
Baume, for a length of time sufficient 
to saturate. While in the bath there 
is a shrinkage of about 10 per cent. 
When taken from the bath it is neces- 
sary to stretch the warp to its original 
length. This can be done while it is 
still wet, or after it has dried by sprin- 
kling with pure cold water while 
stretching. This imparts a bright lus- 
ter, or, in other words, plates the yarn 
or cloth, which, when finished, takes 
a high, silky face. 

Yarn-dyed cotton cloth in stripes (5l!t0" 
or checks ; originally of Indian make. i)H1T1 
Glasgow, Scotland, took up the making 
of the fabric on a large scale. The 
simplicity of its construction led to it 
being one of the first fancy cottons 
made in America. We now have so 
many new lines of cottons called ging- 
hams that the distinctive feature of the 

21 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



(BittQ" name is almost lost. We trace it to 

ufltTl Gingamp, a town in Brittany, where 

the cloth was made for umbrella covers. 

See how easy it was to derive the slang 

English " Gamp" for an umbrella. 

XPtnOtS" Wool, combed, in the fleece instead 

tCb of carded, into parallel fibers, the light- 

ness and firmness of which was suit- 
able for making the finer grades of 
yarn. When William the Conqueror 
came to England he found the people 
of a certain place combing the fleece. 
He had worsted the people in battle, 
named the place Worstead, and the 
yarn-making took the name of the place. 
Worstead, in England, has long been 
known for its fine wool yarns. 

Htft = Richard Arkwright, made Sir 

Wd0bt Richard by George III in 1 786, in- 
vented the spinning frame in 1 767. 
He was born in Lancashire in 1 732, 
had very little education, learned the 
trade of barber and hair-dresser, sold 



22 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



a chemical hair-dye, saved a little Hrfe" 

money, in his spare time studied the WUODt 

workings of the cotton manufacturers 

of his district. By close application 

he brought his spinning device to a 

practical shape. You can understand 

he was not long in the barber-shop 

after that. It appears he had not much 

time to devote to other inventions, as 

all his after life seems to have been 

taken up in preventing others stealing 

his invention. 

Justice is supposed to be the basis 
of all law. 

Heavy woolen cloth, woven with flDeltOtt 
fast back, fulled or shrunk, used for 
overcoating. The name is from Mel- 
ton, a town in Leicestershire, England. 

A cloth of same general appearance flDCltOlV 
as melton, of a lighter weight, for CttC 
women's wear. 

In order to prophesy, one must 
know. To know, one must have had 

23 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



experience. To be a prophet for profit, 
keep a careful memorandum of each 
season's features. Fashion's wheel 
turns with every renewal of your 
bodily structure, or, as we are told, 
once every seven years. 

ZibcUUC Hairy-faced cloth of plain weave. 
Zibeline is French for the small fur- 
bearing animal known as the sable, 
found in Siberia. The fur of the 
zibeline is the mourning fur in the 
garb of royalty. 

That man best controls others who 
best controls himself. 

HSptltd" A fine corded fabric of wool or silk, 

lln€ showing the cords woven close to- 

gether, appearing as if lined with a 
pin-point. The application is from 
Epingle, French for pin. 

If a high protective tariff is a benefit 
to home industries, why not exclusion, 
and with it perfection of trade con- 
ditions } 

24 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Fine linen or cotton lawn. Batiste 
was a Frenchman, who first made the 
cloth. 

"Reading maketh a full man, con- 
fidence a ready man, and writing an 
exact man." —BACON. 

N. B. — Keep a careful record. 

Coarse woolen cloth of the plainest 
weave of the yarn in its natural, un- 
dyed color. The name is literal, spun 
and made at home. 

Make of your business a mistress, 
and love her for herself. 

Applied to plain or twilled mixtures, 
woven of undyed natural wool yarns. 
The French spinners found that the 
strongest yarns were those of the un- 
dyed wool; sometimes two or more 
shades or tones are spun into one 
thread. The name is French for strong. 

To love your business is to have 
one of the ingredients of success. 



Batiste 

or 
Baptiate 



Home 
spun 



Digour- 
eouy 



25 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



fl>ru- 
nelle or 
pru- 
nella 



Cbeviot 



flDull 



The others are knowledge and appli- 
cation; they follow the first. 

Fine twilled worsted cloth of a 
wiry texture. Originally made for 
gaiter or shoe tops. The name pru- 
nelle is French for plum. Plum-color 
was most in favor in the cloth for 
shoe tops. 

It was estimated in the seventeenth 
century it took 10,000 men to convert 
a ton of wool into cloth in a day. We 
do it now with machinery and 
1,000 men. 

Rough-finished twilled cloth, either 
in solid colors or mixtures. The wool 
is from a breed of mountain sheep of 
the Cheviot Hills between England 
and Scotland. 

Past success furnishes both the means 
and motion for future progress. 

Soft cotton muslin of fine quality, 
made first in India, later in Switzer- 



26 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



land. The name in Hindoo is mal fIDUll 
mal, meaning soft, pliable. 

Live your business life alone, or 
with those you can trust. Beware of 
the stranger who wants to entertain 
you. "Nothing for nothing." "Rien 
pour rien," the French say, means a 
great deal. Know your associates. 
You will learn more of your business 
and have less to regret. 

Cloth of undyed, or natural wool. ffcclQC 
True beige is a plain pick-and-pick 
weave. Cashmere beige is twilled 
cloth of same order. The name is 
the French word for "natural." 

Twilled cotton cloth of a brown IftbaM 
dust color, first used for men's clothing, 
in India. Taken up by the Anglo- 
Indian army for uniform cloth. The 
word khaki is Indian for earth, or 
dust-colored. 

Rough, unfinished fabric of wool or Qyoee'b 
cotton and wool, usually of yarn of 

27 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 

ZTVPCCfc) two or more shades, originally the 
product of the weavers on the banks of 
the river Tweed in Scotland. 

What a man gives out, not what he 
keeps, determines his appearance in 
the eyes of the world. Beauty, bright- 
ness, color consist not in what a thing 
keeps, but in what it gives out. A 
well-known law of optics teaches us 
that a thing is seen not in the color 
which it takes in and keeps, but in 
that color which it gives back again. 
The thing we call red is the one which 
is, in one sense, blue; that is, it takes 
in the blue rays and keeps them for 
itself, but gives back the red in color. 

Gold has kept all the green rays, 
and gives back the yellow, so we see 
it as yellow. The object we call 
black takes in every ray of light, and 
keeps them all for itself, so we give 
black the mark and sign of evil. The 
object we call white keeps nothing 
of the sun's rays, but gives them 

28 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



all out again, and we say of white, 
it symbolizes all purity and good. 

Coarse, heavy cloth, with curly sur- 3fret3e 
face, made first of lamb's wool. The 
name is from the French Friser, to 
curl. 

Measure thy life by loss instead of 
gain; not by the wine drunk, but 
by the wine poured forth. For life s 
strength stand eth in life's sacrifice, 
and who gives the most has the most 
to give. 

Is the yarn or thread running length- XPdlatp 
wise of the pieee. J^ 

" Run if you like, but try to keep 

your breath. 
Work like a man, but don't be 

worked to death." 

—HOLMES. 

Applied to a twilled, unsheared- JfOUlC 
face cloth ; that is, the face appears 
to be unsinged, and shows the woolly 

29 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



JfOUlC roughness in a slight degree. The 

cloth, when woven in the gray, is 
fulled or shrunken in width, by soak- 
ing in soapsuds and passing it, while 
wet, through holes of different sizes 
in a steel plate. The holes are 
graded to give different percentages 
of shrinkage. The name is from 
Fouler, French, to full or shrink. 

"A man's character is like his shad- 
ow, which sometimes follows and 
sometimes precedes him, which is oc- 
casionally longer, occasionally shorter 
than he is." 

CftSfo" Cloth made of the hair of the 

ntCCC cashmere goat. The face of the fab- 

ric is twilled, the twills being uneven 
and irregular because of unevenness 
of the yarn. Cashmere yarn was first 
handspun. The cloth was originally 
made as the groundwork for Broche 
India shawls. The sheep, for their 
wool, were grown in the Vale of 
Cashmere in the Himalaya Mountains. 

30 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



"Some men, like pictures, are fitter 
for a corner than a full light." 

-SENECA. 

Is the yarn or thread crossing the "flXHeft or 
piece and binding the warp from sel- JfillillQ 
vage to selvage. 

"It is another's fault if he be un- 
grateful, but it is mine if I do not 
give. To find one thankful man I will 
oblige many that are not so." 

—SENECA. 

A fabric woven of the wool of the flDCtlflO 
Merino sheep, twilled on both sides, 
the twills being uneven. Merino was 
the hand-woven origin of cashmere. 



The standard twills of cashmere and 
henriettas are accepted as follows : 
French, from 12 twills, up or down, 
regulates the range price ; German 
henriettas are usually rated from 1 7 
twills. This grading is merely to give 
prices for whole ranges of twills, such 
as a line of blacks, from 12 to 20 



Gwill0 



31 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



{£VPUl$ twills in any weight. The count of 
twills will not compare different makes, 
as the weight has all to do with the 
value. The writer saw a piece of 
cashmere at the Paris Exposition of 
1889, which counted 100 twills. By 
no counting of the twills could its value 
be estimated. 



"As the sword of the best tempered 
steel is the most flexible, so the truly 
generous are most pliant and courteous 
to their inferiors." 



Gftft)C& Differs from worsted, in that it is 

XKHOOl drawn out into fibers on an appliance 

called a card, which may be a leather 
band fitted with steel hooks or points, 
or a board studded with metal points. 
Carding is applied to the softer wools 
for cashmere and flannel weaving. 

He who knows not and knows not 
that he knows not, is a fool — avoid 
him. 

32 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Twilled wool fabric in which the IDcitC' 
twills are very even and regular, may U8tt 
be single or double twill. The cloth 
is milled or cropped in finishing. 
The name is from Venice. 

He who knows not and knows that 
he knows not, is simple — teach him. 

C. Ahnert, of Paris, has received 
a patent for a method of imparting a 
silky gloss to cotton yarn or cloth 
without submitting to tension. He 
claims tension is unnecessary if the 
cotton is well boiled in a soap solution 
at 122° F., and put through an alkali 
bath of a concentration of 25° to 35° 
Baume at a temperature of 86° to 
104° F. The cotton is taken out in 
about 2^ hours, rinsed with water, to 
which acid may be added. It is then 
bleached. 

He who knows and knows not that 
he knows, is asleep — wake him. 

33 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



IDOCSMtt Of the broadcloth range, made with 
shiny-napped face, soft finish, as the 
pelt of a doe. 

He who knows and knows that he 
knows, is a wise man — follow him. 

3Bt0ftfc" Plain-faced cloth of wool or wors- 

ClOtfo ted, with twilled back. Originally 

made in England in 2 7-inch for men's 
wear. The name is literal, and is 
now applied to the plain-faced, wide- 
width cloths for women's wear. 

3LCU0 This name first applied to fabrics 

woven in stripes of open-lace effect in 
cotton. It is now used to designate the 
open-mesh stripes and checks in silk, 
linen and mohair. The name is de- 
rived from the French linon, for 
linen lawn. 

IflHnUCl The first stage and simplest form 

of weaving wool cloth, usually pre- 
sented in an almost unfinished state. 
The weave may be plain or twilled. 

34 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



The fabric is finished by pressing, no jflaiWel 
other treatment being necessary. 
Name from the French flannelle. 

" He who can, at all times, sacri- 
fice pleasure to duty, approaches 
sublimity." 

A plain, even thread weave of mo- BUttttttQ 
hair, wool or worsted, used most for 
making flags. The name seems to be 
derived from the German, bunt, mean- 
ing variegated or gay-colored. 

Was first a bright-colored, checked flDafcra0 
or striped, plain-faced cotton and 
silk fabric, made in Madras, India, 
for sailors' head-dresses. The name 
has fallen on cotton ginghams, shirt- 
ings, etc., probably because of the 
colorings. 

Choose your pleasures in the line 
of rest and recreation ; leave out the 
expensive and straining kinds. 

35 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


flfcomie 


A plain weave of flaxen or linen 


or 


yarn. Originally the winding cloth 


flDum- 


or shroud of the Egyptian mummified 


mv 


dead. Some well-preserved mummy 




cloth can be seen in the New York 




Museum of Art. 




Health lies in temperance in all 




things. 


£>rap 


A heavy cashmere or double-warp 


fc'Ete 


merino, with the back teazled or 




scratched ; used most as clothing for 




the priesthood. In lighter weights 




for women's dress. The name is 




French for "cloth of summer." 


Berber 


Satin-faced fabric of light-weight 




cloth ; came into favor about the time 




of the defeat of the Berbers by Gen- 




eral Gordon in his campaign against 




the Mahdi in North Africa. 




A good cause makes a strong arm. 




36 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Similar to a poplin; made of hard- J6rn= 
twisted worsted filling and cotton PCC90 
warp. Was made a success in the VL-lOlD 
early seventies of the last century by 
the Empress Eugenie of France. Em- 
press cloth was a staple in all well- 
regulated dress goods lines in 1 873. 

"Mens sana in corpore sano," a 
sound mind in a sound body. Keep 
your body clean and sound by ju- 
dicious exercise, and your mind will 
be in working order. 

A manufacturer of shoddy was be- 2>b0bfr\) 
fore the Ways and Means Committee 
during the construction of the Dingley 
tariff. On being asked what shoddy 
was, replied: "Anything long 
enough to have two ends." He also 
said he sold his shoddy to almost all 
the wool manufacturers, and further 
stated that as much as 80 per cent, 
was used in making some so-called 
woolen cloths. Shoddy is made from 

37 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



£5bObb)j) old woolen stockings or rags, shredded 
or picked by hand or machine, to 
render the yarn or threads suitable for 
spinning into yarn a second time; or 
to give a fiber that can be woven or 
felted in with a wool or cotton warp. 
The name is literal, meaning, in its 
adverbial sense, cheap, make believe. 

"We usually judge others by our 
own standard ; and although we in- 
dulgently forgive our own shortcom- 
ings in them, we condemn them harshly 
for lack of our own special virtues." 

—BALZAC. 

flDOrCCTl Heavy mohair, cotton or silk and 
cotton cloth, with watered or moire 
face. The making of moreen is in- 
teresting. The undyed cloth is placed 
its length of piece in a trough in lay- 
ers, from two to as many layers as 
will take the finish, which is imparted 
to the cloth by placing between the 
layers of cloth sheets of manila paper ; 
the contents of the trough are then satu- 

38 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



rated with water; a heavy- weighted flDOreeil 
roller is then passed over the wetted 
paper and cloth. The movement of 
the roller gives the cloth a watered 
face. It can then be dyed and re- 
finished. If you examine moreen you 
will find the design or marking differ- 
ent on every piece. Moreen was 
made for upholstery and drapery use 
at first; is still used to cover church 
seat cushions. It was found to give 
a rustle sound or "froufrou," similar 
to silk, so was taken up for under- 
skirts. The name is probably from 
moire, French for watering. 

"A man can shine in the second 
rank who would be totally eclipsed in 

the first." -BALZAC. 

This name has been applied to a paiMC 
range of satin-faced velvet or silk 
fabrics which show a high luster, 
which is produced by pressure. The 
word Panne is French for plush. 

39 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Ibetv* 
rietta 
Clotb 



Gartans 



A twilled cashmere of light weight 
and high finish, originally made with 
silk warp and wool filling in York- 
shire, England. This name is now 
applied generally to all the cashmere 
weaves and weights. The name was 
given in honor of Henrietta Maria of 
England, Queen of Charles I. The 
silk-warp, hand-woven fabric was 
first produced about the year 1 660. 
When the all-wool cloth was promoted 
in the United States, the name was 
wrongly thought to have been taken 
from a play popular in 1884. 

Eleventh Commandment: "Mind 
your own business." 

Plaids of the Scottish clans worn 
by men in the Highlands of Scotland 
as a scarf, from the shoulder under 
the arm ; each clan had a distinctive 
tartan or plaid. The name was 
adapted from the Spanish Tiritana, 
a thin woolen-checked cloth. 



40 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Help a weak man and you create 
an enemy ; help a strong one and you 
gain strength. 

Heavy, coarse linen cloth, gummed 3BUCR 
and finished to a firm, stiff texture; ^ am 
the fabric was first made in Bokhara, 
Tartary, as a foundation for a special 
floor covering, and the name is de- 
rived from Bokhara. 

There are men who have been 
helped who wish, from pure hatred, 
for the downfall of the one who aided 
them, even should his downfall mean 
their own ruin. 

Satin-faced cloth, woven with fine GjOlCXl 
line or stripe running lengthwise of 
the piece ; usually in solid colors and 
piece-dyed. Soleil is French for sun, 
and applies to the brightness of the 
finished cloth. 

When you have learned to give no 
heed to those who do not heed you; 

41 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



when you have learned that, no matter 
how high a man's head, his feet are on 
a level with your own ; when you 
have learned not to put confidence in 
the warm days of winter, in the sleep 
of your enemies, or the flattery of 
friends, then are you rich in learning. 

(Tnn\>3$ Coarse, plain weave of hempen 

yarn; the name is from canabis, the 
technical name of hemp. 

Carelessness will work as much 
harm as malice. 

£>att@" Plain fabric of wiry worsted or 

Iter mohair yarn, closely woven, with a 

rough-finished surface. Sanglier is 

French for wild boar, the hairy, wiry 

cloth resembling the coat of the animal. 

The most utterly lost of all days is 
that in which we have not once laughed. 

dftcnii" Originally a plain, open-work net- 

fcittC like fabric of silk, mohair, cotton or 

wool, such as were firmly made so as 



42 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



not to slip on the warp ; were called (BfCnft 1 
iron frame. Now we have grenadines OltlC 
in jacquards and set patterns. The 
name is an adaptation of Grenada. 



"I don't believe that harmless 
cheerfulness and good humor are 
thought greater sins in heaven than 
shirt collars are." 

—DICKENS. 

Plain weave of silk and wool, or (5l0tt8 
silk and cotton ; first made for um- 
brella covering. The name is literal, 
meaning bright, praiseworthy. 

Mr. Carnegie observes, "There is 
very little success where there is little 
laughter." 

Twilled cloth of silk and wool ; SultHflC 
finished in the rough, not singed or 
sheared. The name is from Sultana, 
the first wife of the Sultan. 

Render your account to God. Call 
God what you please — Supreme Be- 

43 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



ing, Grand Master of the Universe, 
the good that is in yourself — what 
you will, only render an account — 
ask yourself how you stand ? 

CrCpCOt Thin, gauzy fabric, woven in loose, 
CnipC even threads of silk, heavily sized or 

gummed, crimped or craped in the 
drying. Crape was first used in black 
only as a badge of mourning ; it is 
now, however, an accepted dress fab- 
ric, made in colors and white, and of 
many materials. The name signifies 
to crimp or crape with a hot iron. 

Who lives without folly is not so 
wise as he thinks. 

CbCnillC Cloth of a fuzzy or fluffy face ; 
woven of cotton, silk or wool ; used 
sometimes for dress goods ; more gen- 
erally for curtains and table covers. 
Chenille is French for caterpillar, 
which insect the single thread of the 
cloth resembles. 

44 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



The basis of the metric system of flDetre 
measurement, equivalent to 39 37/100 
inches. 

Long before the oldest book in the XittCIt 
world was written the Egyptians cul- 
tivated flax for its fiber. We read 
and get the first idea of its utility in 
the Bible, Exodus 9th C, 31st: 
"And the flax and the barley were 
smitten ; for the barley was in the ear 
and the flax was boiled." Note the 
beautiful texture and fineness of the 
linen winding cloths of the Egyptian 
mummies. Ages before the French 
made cambric at Cambrai, before the 
Lowlanders made lawn, Egypt had 
fine linen cloth. To-day linen is the 
fabric chosen when firmness of weave 
is desired, more particularly where 
white is used, as in shirt bosoms, col- 
lars, napery, etc. The French, in the 
time of Napoleon I, made great prog- 
ress in the spinning and weaving of 
flax, which they used in making fine 

45 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



XitlCn sheer fabrics for women's and men's 

wear. The name linen is from the 
French linon, equivalent to English 
lawn. Most of the French weavers 
used flax for the lighter lawn textures. 

Eltna Cloth, double twilled from left to 

right diagonally ; first made in black 
only as a special mourning fabric. The 
name is from the Egyptian, as applied 
to a mourner or singer at funerals. 

(IDOir C Watered design of any material ; 

first made in silk. Moire is French 
for watering. 

2>Wi00 From Switzerland, where the plain 

Swiss net and figured cambric is a 
specialty in the St. Gall district. 

Business is sensitive ; it goes only 
where it is invited, and stays only 
where it is well treated. 

%HWn Fine linen cambric, used now for 

women's dress ; first made to com- 
bine with silk and drap d'ete for 

46 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



clerical garb. The name is from XaWU 
Laon, a place near Rheims, France, 
where lawn was extensively made. 

Plain, sheer, soft-finished fabric of CbtttOH 
silk or cotton. The name applies to 
the finish, and is the French word 
for rag. 

Applied to cotton cords is a mis- pique 
nomer. Pique was originally woven 
in diamond-shaped designs to imitate 
quilting. The name is French for 
quilting. 

Soft wool cloth of the cheviot order, H)|^O0UC 
with teazled face ; made from the wool 
of the vicuna, a South American ani- 
mal of the camel species. Vigogne 
is the French name for the animal. 

French name for bolting or sifting ]£t&- 
cloth ; made of silk for sifting flour ; mine Or 
applied to mesh or net weaves in fiSto' 
America; accorded a special duty in 
our tariff when made of cotton. 



mine 



47 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



flDOftaiC The hair of the Angora goat. Fab- 

rics made of this hair are called mo- 
hairs. The name is from the Arabic, 
mukay-yar, cloth of goat's hair. 

ZTcrr\> A pile fabric, with the loops of the 

ClOtD pile drawn through a foundation and 

uncut. Turkish toweling is the orig- 
inal terry. The name is from the 
French, tirer, to draw or pull. 

Study the errors of others and profit 
thereby ; fools laugh at them and for- 
get, and are forever fools. 

Cb&lliC Originally challis. Soft wool cloth, 

plain, printed or figured. Challis, as 
first made, was of silk and wool fig- 
ured in small design. The name is 
from the Anglo-Indian shalee, a soft 
cotton cloth. 



Could any tariff law have made for 
this country a Morse, a Whitney, an 
Edison or a Bell ? 



48 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Yarn-dyed linen or cotton cambric. 
The name is from Cambrai, the French 
town where chambray was first made, 
to be used for sunbonnets. 



Cfoam= 
bra$ 



A fine sheer fabric of cotton or silk, ©r^ait- 
Organdie is French for book muslin. vtC 

Corded or ribbed cloth; made orig- Ipopltfl 
inally of silk and worsted. Double 
poplins have double warp and filling ; 
Irish poplin, single-warp silk and 
worsted filling ; Norwich poplin, of 
silk and linen. The name is French, 
popeline, to designate the weave. The 
cloth was first made in Avignon, 
France, about A.D. 1 500 ; was taken 
in 1775 to Ireland by the French 
Protestant refugees. Ireland has since 
excelled in making it. 



"Be not so severe that you are 

blamed for it, nor so gentle, that you 

are trampled on for it." 

—TURKISH PROVERB. 



49 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 

COVCrt Heavy twilled cloth in natural, 

undyed shades ; used in England for 
men's overcoats, worn while riding to 
covert in fox-hunting. 

(BnitlitC The name of a weave resembling 

the markings of granite stone. 

jHC" Designs on any kind of fabric woven 

QUHtO on a loom having a chain of cards 

through which pass wires or cords, 
the lifting or dropping of which raises 
the warp threads to allow the passing 
of the shuttle for the weft. Joseph 
Marie Jacquard, the perfecter of the 
card appliance to looms for the weav- 
ing of flower or irregular designs, was 
born in Lyons, France, July 7, 1 752. 
He inherited two old looms and a 
small sum of money from his father. 
Working on the looms he made prog- 
ress toward the perfection of his 
idea. He was called to Paris in 
1801 by Napoleon I, and given a 
medal for his invention, which did 

50 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



the work of one man less per loom. 3&C" 
The appliance was perfected in 1 804. QUarb 
Jacquard died in 1 834. The city of 
Lyons erected a beautiful statue in 
memory of his great service to the 
silk-weaving industry. 

Dress contains two codes of moral- 
ity — private and public. Attention 
is the duty we owe to others ; clean- 
liness that which we owe to our- 
selves. 

Printed cotton cloth; large, many- (£J)|nt0 
colored designs, used in Western 
countries for furniture covering. The 
Hindoos wear it as a body drapery. 
Chints is the Hindoo word meaning 
variegated. 

Knit cloth of fine combed wool; ^CVQC^ 
made first in the Island of Jersey for ClOtl) 
fishermen's wear; sometimes made 
with fleeced back. What we call 
stockinette is Jersey cloth. 

51 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



patlJMTl8 The plain, simple weave of the 
straw plaiter ; the weave of the Pan- 
ama hat makers. 

"Experience is the best teacher; 
only the tuition fees are heavy." 

Sicilian Heavy-weight cotton warp, mohair- 

filled cloth. Sicilienne, the proper 
name, was made in the Island of 
Sicily as a heavy-ribbed, all-silk stuff. 

HullC Open-work silk net ; made on the 

pillow as lace, by the young women 
of Tulle, France. 

"Our lesser misfortunes come from 
thinking too well of our fellows ; our 
greater from thinking too well of our- 
selves." — SETH LEE. 

36tOCftbC Raised figures on a plain ground. 
Early writers were wont to brocade 
or ornament their work with flour- 
ishes. 

"Dissipation is a lottery in which 
there are no prizes." 

52 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



A kind of brocade, used for drap- BtTOCatel 
ery and upholstery; usually raised 
wool figures on a silk ground. 

Cotton muslin, with little dressing percale 
and slightly finished face; when 
printed, used for shirting. The origin 
of the name is doubtful, and is sup- 
posed to be North of England dialect, 
meaning long cloth, sold by the ell. 



Highly finished and dressed per- 
cale; sold in solid colors for lining. 

"The world o'erflows its cup of woe, 
Each heart has felt the knife of pain ; 
But I would have my soul to know 

That all is best, that God doth reign." 

_R. W. GILDER. 

Hard-twisted worsted twills, either 
solid or mixed colors. The name 
is from the hard-twisted fiber lash of a 
whip. 

Plain silk cloth, sold as dress 
goods ; originally made for handker- 

53 



petca- 
line 



TObtp- 
corfc 



jfoularb 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



JfOUlatb chiefs only. The name is French for 
silk handkerchief. 

A thousand misfortunes are less 
affecting than a single kindness. 

(31&CC Plain, lustrous silk, yarn-dyed ; 

warp of one color, weft of another. 
The name is applied to all fabrics 
having two tones. Glace is French 
for icy, having an icy appearance. 

CniCfclC Weave, showing the effect of cracks 

in glass, china, etc.; sometimes applied 
to an imitation crepon. 



(BftlfttCR Blue and white striped cotton or 

linen twill ; used for children's sailor 
suits. Galatea was a sea nymph in 
Grecian mythology. 

"Laugh and the world laughs with 

you, 

Weep and you weep alone." 

—ELLA WHEELER WILCOX. 

54 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Thin cotton fabric, heavier than JaCOflCt 
cambric. If properly made one side 
is glazed. Jaconet is derived from 
the French, Jaconas. 

Cotton or woolen sheer cloth hav- flMuiTlC" 
ing raised dots or figures in relief on ti0 
plain ground. The design shows a 
feathery effect, as in embroidery 
tambour. The name is French for 
this kind of embroidery, and is derived 
from plume, French for feather. 

HOPE. 
"The rainbow to the storms of life; 
The evening beam that smiles the 

clouds away, 
And tints to-morrow with prophetic 
ray." — byron. 



Any cloth treated to make water- 
proof by the Cravenette Company. 
Mr. Craven, of Bradford, England, 
copyrighted a process of treating with 
parafine and naphtha, and gave his 
name to it. 



Craven- 
ette 



55 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



CbCnC Sometimes applied to glace silk, or 

cotton two-toned effects. The name 
is literal, meaning shiny, bright, hav- 
ing a sheen. 

"Originality is a thing we con- 
stantly clamor for, and constantly 
quarrel with." — CARLYLE. 

©ntbfC Design of weave in stripes or 

waves, showing shaded effect from 
dark to light in same stripe. Ombrer 
is French for shaded. 

"If the best man's faults were 
written on his forehead it would 
make him pull his hat over his eyes." 

—GAELIC PROVERB. 

CtCPOU Large designs in figured crepe. 

The name applies to the crispiness of 
the finish. French — Crepon, to make 
crisp. 

SOUtflC The largest designs of crepon show 

a raised or puffed appearance. Souffle 
is French for puffed up. 

56 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Applied to hairy, rough-faced 3B0UtrC 
weaves ; we have Bourre Souffle, 
hairy crepons. Bourre is French for 
hairy. 

Herringbone weaves show bars CbCVCOIl 
meeting at an angle, as the markings 
on the sleeves of military uniforms, 
or the bones of a herring. 

Cut cashmere is a cashmere weave, COUpUfC 
showing lines cut through the twills 
lengthwise of the piece. Coupure is 
French for cut through. 



Cashmere twill on one side or face 
of cloth ; poplin cord on reverse. 

"Call not that man wretched who, 

Whatever ills he suffers, has a 

child to love." — southey. 

Cashmere, or worsted twilled-face 
cloth, with cords woven in the warps, 
are imitation of corduroy for riding 
habits. Bedford, a town in Eng- 
land, gives its name to the weave. 



Gasb- 

mere 

Double 



Bebforb 

Gorb 



57 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



CotC In France, corded cloth for riding 

CbCV&l costumes, such as Bedford cord, is 

called cote cheval. The application 

being through cheval, horse ; cote, 

ribbed or lined. 

HUTIC French measure equaling forty-five 

inches, used in folding silk in putting 
up in pieces. Superseded in measur- 
ing by the metre. 

JEW Measure formerly used for cloth. 

In England forty-five inches, Scot- 
land thirty-seven inches ; rarely used 
now, as the thirty-six-inch yard is 
the accepted measure. 

l^Htb Thirty-six inches in America. The 

English yard is a standard established 
by the government, indicated by two 
marks on a metal rod embedded in 
the masonry of the Houses of Par- 
liament. The American yard is sup- 
posed to be 1-100,000 longer than 
the English, but is not fixed by gov- 
ernment standard. 



58 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 

French measure — the one hun- Ccntl™ 
dredth part of a metre. tUCtte 

"Good breeding shows itself most 
where, to an ordinary eye, it appears 
the least." 

—ADDISON. 

Weave showing the raised lines IbOttCV)" 
of the bee's comb or nest. Called COlttb 
Nid d'Abeille in French, meaning 
bee's nest. 

Open mesh weave of coarse cot- TTarlc- 
ton, used mostly in fruit packing; Jjm 
sometimes for dress and drapery. 
The name is from Tarlantanna, 
Milanese for coarse weave of linen 
and wool. 

Twill-faced cloth with cord or cut ^^hog- 
across the warp. The name is from tODOl 
Sevastopol, the Russian fortified town 
captured by the English and French 
in 1855. 



59 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



lEOlt 8 " Sheer cloth of silk, silk and wool, 

CtinC Of or silk and cotton, woven in fine cord 
HeOliatl e ff ect F rom tne Greek Aeolus, God 
of the Winds, comes the name. Ap- 
plied in the sense of a light zephyr 
weight. 

(BnilftC Geometrical designs, puffed up in 

weave, as the markings of a waffle 
iron. Gaufre is French for waffle. 

360UClC Curled hair or wool, woven in any 

cloth to show the curl, is boucle. 
The word is French for curl. 

"A man has no more right to say 
an uncivil thing than to act one ; no 
more right to say a rude thing to 

another than to knock him down." 

—JOHNSON. 



Jfloren- 
tine 



Heavy twilled mohair fabric for 
men's wear. Sold largely to Italy 
and Spain. The name is from Flor- 
ence, Italy. 

60 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


Poplin weave of mohair, made in 


(Branafca 


coating weight for Spanish trade. 




Granada is a city in Spain. 




Corded weave, lengthwise of the 


Corfceb 


piece, cotton warp alpaca filling. 


alpaca 


One of the first products of the 




American loom. 




"There is no gold of such great 




value as that which is dug from the 




depths of a sunny nature, to be 




coined into smiles and helpfulness." 




Thin, sheer, soft-finished, silk fab- 


Sar- 


ric of a veiling kind ; now used as 


senet 


millinery lining. The name comes 




from the Arab Saracens, who wore 




it in their headdress. 




Coarse, heavy cloth of cotton and 


Jfu0tlan 


flax. First made at Fustat, a town 




on the Nile, near Cairo. Velveteen 




and corduroy, in the lower, coarser 




grades, were sometimes called Fus- 




tian. 




61 





Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



COft)U" Heavy cotton corded stuff, used 

T0\) originally for servants' livery. The 

name is from the French, Cord-du- 
roy — king's cords. The king's out- 
door servants wore the cloth. 

"The manners which one neglects 
as trifles are often precisely that by 
which men decide on you favorably 
or the reverse." 

$e\t Fabric made by rolling or pressing 

a pulpy mass or mixture of hair or 
wool into a flat mat. The name is 
from the process. To felt, is to mix 
and press into shape. 



Xinse^ 


Coarse cloth of linen flax and 


Wool- 


wool, used as skirtings by the British 


ses 


peasantry. The name is from the 




component parts of the cloth. 


Gbibet 


Heavy, coarse weave of goat's 




hair, made by the Thibetans, in Asia, 




for men's wear. 




62 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



Originally a hand-knitted woolen XTflCOt 
fabric, plain or ribbed, used for 
shawls. Most of the tricot in use 
to-day is made on old shawl looms, 
and finished as dress goods. The 
name is from the French, tricoter, to 
knit. 

Heavy cross weave, as the sacking iDOp- 
in which hops are packed. SaCK 

Sheer fabric, as etamine, with in- lIMStf HI 
terwoven, uneven threads, or nubbed 
yarn in the warp. Mistral is the 
French name for the strong north- 
west wind. 

Silk fabric, made with warp and ©tCjan- 
weft of same size. Organzine is the 3WC 
name given the twisted silk thread in 
Italy, where it is made. 

" Genius and brilliancy do not in- 
sure success ; close application and 
continued effort yield best results." 

63 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



©rlcatt0 Cloth of cotton warp and bright 

wool filling; made at one time in 
Orleans, France. Many of the so- 
called alpacas and mohairs of to-day 
are Orleans. 

CrO00 Fabrics with warp and weft of 

2)\>C0 different shades ; after weaving they 

are crossdyed, or redyed, to give 
solid colors and glace effects. Mo- 
hairs are mostly treated in this way. 

SncMtlC? Plain, solid color flannel in special 

shades for women's dressing sacks ; 
also applied to a fabric of hemp for 
grain sacks. 



BlbH" Sheer fabric with fleecy surface. 

ttO60 The name is taken from the bird 

whose downy breast the finish of the 

fabric resembles. 

H0tra- Curly-faced cloth resembling the 

ftban pelt of a breed of Persian sheep called 

Astrakhan. 

64 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


Long-piled fabric of the velvet or- 


plueb 


der. Peluche, the origin of the name, 




is French for shaggy. 




Twilled cotton cloth of light weight, 


Satine 


finished to imitate silk satin. 




Heavy overcoating, with high, 


Beaver 


bright finish. The name from the 




beaver, a North American fur-bearing 




animal. 




Silk warp, wool weft, fine twilled 


3Bomba= 


cloth ; originally made in black only 


3tne 


for mourning ; used largely for mourn- 




ing hat bands. The root of the name 




is bombyx, Greek for silkworm. 




Grenadines with large, colored 


fll>03am= 


flower designs in relief. The fabric 


bique 


was in favor about A. D. 1 860, when 




the first white settlement was made 




by the Portuguese on the Island of 




Mozambique, off the east coast of 




Africa. 




65 





Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



ilfr&tC" Quilted designs in any fabric; 

I&66C from the French, matelasser, to stuff 

or pad. 

1kenje£ Heavy cloth for coating, of the 

beaver range. High satin finish. 
Made first in Kersey, England, a 
woolen goods center. 

C&0£i = Twilled stuff in men's wear weight. 

UlCrC The name is a variation of cashmere. 

Cassimere, when properly made, is of 

cashmere wool. 

flDOtl- Heavy nubbed overcoating. The 

t&Qtl&C French montagne for mountain is the 
origin of the name, being for moun- 
tain wear. 

CHStOr Same as beaver, of a lighter weight. 

Beaver fur is sometimes called castor. 



CMn- 


Heavy coating with rough, wavy 


cMUa 


face. The name is Spanish for a 




fur-bearing animal of the mink spe- 




cies. 




66 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


Similar to etamine, with a very 
close mesh ; made first of silk and 
wool. Tamis is French for sieve. 


£ami6e 


Coarse cloth of flax and tow, made 
in America of cotton, in checks or 


®sna- 
bura 


plaids; used for furniture covering 
and mattress making. The town of 
Osnaburg, in Germany, made the 
fabric first. 




Double twilled silk and wool stuff. 
Named for Melrose, a town on the 
Tweed, in Scotland. 


flDel- 

rose 


Weaves showing the small, inter- 


Hrmure 


laced designs of chain armor. 




Teasled cotton flannel. The name 


E>omett 


is from domestic, or home-made. 




Napped cotton flannel. Made first 
for trade with Canton, China. 


Canton 
Jflannel 


Light weight twilled worsted. Same 
derivative of name as Kersey. 


1kerse\>- 
mere 


67 





Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


Cbufcab 


Applied to billiard cloth; relates 




to the color. Chudah is the Hindoo 




name of a bright-green plant. 


Denim 


A name to distinguish yarn dyed 




from piece-dyed heavy cotton twills. 


Drill or 


Three-thread cotton or linen 


Drilling 


twilled cloth; from the Latin, trilex, 




of three threads. 


3eans 


Cotton or woolen coarse twilled 




fabric in cotton used for linings, in 




wool for men's cheap clothing. The 




name is from a Genoese coin, relat- 




ing to the price of the cloth ; so 




much for one jean. 


Scrim 


Open mesh wear of cotton or linen 




for curtains and linings. The name 




is from scrimp, referring to the econ- 




omy in weaving. 


pongee 


Soft wash silk made in China from 




the product of a wild silkworm. The 




name is from Pun-ki, Chinese for 




woven at home on own loom. 




G8 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


Sheer stuff of silk and wool for 


Barege 


veiling. Made largely near the town 




of Bareges, in France. 




Name given to curled wool fabric 


Canicbe 


showing the effect of the coat of the 




caniche, a French dog. 




Same as epingline ; same deriva- 


lEpingle 


tion. 




Coarse linen toweling. Crassus, 


Crasb 


the Latin origin of the name, means 




coarse. 




Nubbed or bourette yarn woven as 


Bour- 


design in plain or fancy ground. 


ette 


Bourette is French for slightly hairy, 




applied to the hairy nubs of the yarn. 




Design showing wavy surface. 


©nfcule 


Onduler is French, to wave. 




Light worsted yarn ; also light- 


Zepb^r 


weight cotton gingham. Zephyrus, 




Greek for the light west wind. 




69 





Te.x 


■tiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


2>am= 


Flower designs on plain ground. 


aese 


Same derivative of name as damask. 


Seer- 


Thin silk and linen stuff, made first 


sucker 


in India for men's wear. The de- 




sign was ? set stripes, alternating, plain 




and crimped, or creped. The name 




is Anglo-Indian, and is merely dis- 




tinctive; has no reference to the 




weave. 


Cre- 


Heavy cotton cloth printed in large 


tonne 


designs, for drapery and furniture 




use. Cretonne was a Frenchman who 




first made the cloth. 


Minees 


Same as linsey-woolsey. The name 




is a change on linsey. 


Burlap 


Coarse hempen cloth for packing 




purposes ; also used for wall-covering. 




The name is a corruption of the 




Danish boenlap, a rubbing cloth. 




70 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



PEOPLE WE MEET IN 
DAILY BUSINESS LIFE 

One who believes in the first per- ^tfoefgt 
sonal pronoun. 

Blood brother to a parrot. 180?C 

One who is fond of facts. CWUC 

Always in agreement with present 
company. 



mat 



One who steals enough to afford j£lTl = 
going to jail. \)C&\ZX 

The other fellow in an argument. JfOOl 

One who is sure of and strong (3cnlU0 
enough to be himself. 

One who thinks he has a right to ffjCatbCll 
his own God. 

The man whom you think dislikes Ufriot 
you. 

A person who helps lawyers to Ju^Ot 
pervert justice. 

71 



7Y.1 


tiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


IRlepto- 


One who steals that which he is 


maniac 


able to buy. 


Xaw^er 


One who tries to show how fool- 




ish most laws are. 


flfeor- 


One who has found a way around 


mon 


the VNth commandment. 


IReigb- 


One whom you wish did not live 


bor 


next door. 


©pti- 


A person who believes the worst 


mtet 


is here. 


peesl- 


One who believes the worst is yet 


mist 


to come. 


<&uib- 


A person who should be a law- 


bler 


yer. 


•{Re- 


One who thinks he can change the 


former 


course of Niagara by shouting at it. 


Social- 


A lazy man who covets his fel- 


ist 


lows* earnings. 


battler 


A person with an ingrowing con- 




science, which prompts him to telling 




mean things. 




72 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 


The august personage who keeps 


TIteber 


timid people in their— to him — proper 




place. 




One who knows the earth is an 


IDagrant 


oyster. 




A reader of the funny papers. 


UGlit 


What we should call the average 


San- 


daily paper editor. 


those 


One who wants to tax every busi- 


lj)anfcee 


ness but his own. 




One who works overtime. 


Zealot 


73 


• 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



CONCLUSION 

Dan Hix was a village character 
where I lived as a boy. He was a 
stupid old fellow who owned a box- 
bed wagon and a scraggly horse. 
With this outfit he hauled kindling 
wood from the sawmill and ashes to 
the dump. 

The boys of the village were talk- 
ing one evening of Dan's stupidity. 
One ventured the opinion, Dan could 
not be taught to spell his very short 
name in a week. Another offered to 
wager he could teach Dan to spell it 
right off in that time. Small wagers 
were made for and against the propo- 
sition. Dan, on being asked how he 
would like to be able to spell his 
own name, promptly agreed it would 
be the one thing desirable. One of 
the boys was told off to arrange for 
the test at the week's end, and the 
teacher started with Dan. Along 
about the third night the report came, 

74 



Textiles and the Origin of Their Names. 



"Dan can spell his name." Satur- 
day night came; the test was to be 
made. The teacher told with pride : 
"Dan had not only learned to spell 
his name, but had learned the alpha- 
bet as well." All the boys who 
knew of the affair were on the village 
common. Whichever way the de- 
cision went a bean feast was to fol- 
low. Dan, mounted on a pile of 
lumber, poor, simple Dan. I can see 
his grin of pride in his accomplish- 
ment now. The boy teacher started 
Dan to spell, a letter at a time. 
Now, Dan, the first letter. "D," 
said Dan, and on he went to H and 
I, then hesitating, as if in doubt; the 
teacher urged him with, "Why, Dan, 
what's the last letter? You had it 
pat an hour ago." Dan's face bright- 
ened as he yelled, " Izzard, be gosh! " 
and lost for his backers. Poor Dan 
was overtrained, and showed how it 
was possible to know too much. 



75 



36 91 



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